A longitudinal examination of factors associated with social support satisfaction among HIV-positive young Black men who have sex with men

ABSTRACT

This study examined the long-term predictors of social support satisfaction among HIV-positive young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM). Data were collected across three waves between October 2012 and November 2014 as part of the baseline assessment from Project nGage, a preliminary efficacy randomized control study examining the role of social support in improving HIV care among YBMSM. The sample included 92 YBMSM aged 18–29. Major results controlling for age, education and intervention effects indicated that psychological health, social network size, and education at baseline predicted differences in social support satisfaction at Wave 3, with no significant effects based on length of HIV diagnosis. Therefore, interventions that are intended to promote the quality of life for YBMSM and their engagement and retention in HIV care must focus on their psychological health concerns and network size.

KEYWORDS:

• Social support
• predictors
• psychological distress
• Black men who have sex with men
• social network size

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the study participants for their participation and Alida Bouris, Milton “Mickey” Eder, Molly Pilloton, Natasha Flatt, Tiffany Washington, Keisha Hampton and Montre Washington for their valuable contributions to the project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health [grant number R34MH097622] awards to Drs. Schneider and Voisin. This manuscript was also made possible with help from the Third Coast Center for AIDS Research [grant number P30 AI 117943].